Love Across Time
by CherryMaiden12
Summary: Umeko was a regular high school student and was going to start her new life in a different city, leaving her friends behind. Suddenly, after going through heartbreak she finds herself in another world. Surprisingly, it is the world that her grandmother had told stories about. She soon finds herself exploring this new universe and creating bonds. Zuko x OC
1. And she travels to the South

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, though I wish I do, Avatar the last airbender or its characters. Umeko is just my character, and so I own her. Mm, yeah... Pretty much it.

**AN:** This is my first fanfic and it was something I wanted to do after reading so many great ones. I hope its good and please review, they will make me happy!

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Ever since I was young, my grandmother always told me the story of a world where people could control elements at whim. Of course, I don't believe in that now but before I had been so into the story that I use to dream that one day I would be able to meet them. It was an impossible dream anyway, even if they were real, they could control elements for goodness sakes! As I grew older, I just believed that the story was some old tale that was passed along from my father and to me. Anything about my father had my interest because I had never known him. My mother and my grandmother raised me, my father had not been in my life since I was newborn. I don't know what happened to him, my mother never answered when I asked and neither did my grandmother. So I just assumed he left us or maybe he died in a tragic accident that hurt them to speak of it.

Oh, I didn't tell you my name. Excuse me, that was rude of me. My name is Yamamura, Umeko and I am the only child. I am a regular high school student that lives, well used to live, in the city of Kyoto. The reason why I said used to is because I'll be moving this Spring. I will be leaving to Tokyo which is pretty far and it's all because of my mother's promotion. I'll be leaving behind friends and a boy that I had a crush for a while. I was planning to tell him how I felt on the day that the cherry blossoms had first bloomed but I won't be able to do that now… Anyway, I was very reluctant on moving like any other person would. I protested, I cried, and I felt like running away and living with my friend Saki, who had tried to convince me that I should. I mean why should I leave? I had lived here all my life and all my memories are here. There were so many things I planned to do and loved about Kyoto that it was hard and still is hard for me to accept the changes. For the last two days, I decided that I would spend them with my friends and with the boy I had loved. They invited all our classmates for my big going away party and I was deeply touched. We played karaoke, ate cake, and played silly games. Saki, Ayumi, Hiro, and Arata had made everything about that day perfect to me. I loved my friends more than I loved myself, which sounds pretty strange.

Seeing Arata was really hard for me because ever since the first day of high school, when I saw his face, and when he looked at me… I had felt overwhelming warmth inside my heart. In the beginning of high school, I didn't have any friends. Most of my middle school friends had went to this private high school and I had very much liked the public one, I didn't want to make a change and so I went there. I had missed the first two days due to a cold and so by the time I had come back, everyone had formed their cliques and I was left alone. I had no one to blame but myself, that's what I had got for forgetting my umbrella when I had gone to see my grandmother the day before. Still, it had hurt to know that I would be alone like this and people didn't even make an effort to befriend me. It was like they had enough members in their circles. Like I said, that morning I had met Arata but he never said anything to me other than the occasional hello.

How did I become friends with Saki, Ayumi, and Hiro? Well, it was by the brush of fate really. We all were put into a team for the school festival and so we had to spend a lot of time together and that we did. We became close and eventually swapped numbers and talked. Saki and Ayumi have always been overprotective of me. They were friends since elementary school and could read each other like a book, but with me? I was definitely different from them. They would try to dress me in the latest fashions and try to make me wear makeup. I was never a girly girl; I just dressed like an old woman as they would say. After I told them that I had thought Arata was attractive, they had tried to set me up with him since. I eventually became friends with him and that was probably the best thing that could've happened to me even though I felt much more than friendship.

A lot of girls had a crush on him and I never thought I was pretty enough and so I never did try to gain something more. Arata was bright, smart, handsome, and athletic. It was hard to keep your eyes off him once you see him enter the room, move across the field, or when he smiled. He would constantly pet me, ask me things, and talk to me on the phone until I fell asleep. I knew I was falling in love with him but how he felt was unknown to me. The day before I left, after my going away party, it was my last day of school because my mother said that I should at least tell all my teachers goodbye. And so I attended my last day of school and it was also the day that I decided that I would tell Arata my feelings and the mood would be right because it was raining and we could share my umbrella. We always shared my umbrella because he always seems to never check the weather when it was supposed to rain.

And so after school, I had looked for him at the shoe lockers just to see another girl had met with him first. "You forgot your umbrella? Well, I can walk you home with mine. I wouldn't want you to get sick, Arata-kun." I just stood there, frozen. What was I to do? And the way that Arata looked at her… I could tell that he obviously liked her. I mean, why wouldn't he? She was far prettier than me. Her skin was fairer, her hair stylish, and she was one of the popular senior students. He would definitely be happy with someone like her…

I don't know what came over me but I felt like I wanted to cry. This was my last day, the only day I could tell Arata how I felt and it was ruined… My eyes began to water and next thing you know, my legs started moving on their own. I ran through them, Arata reaching out to grab my arm but I just yanked it out of his grasp and tried so hard not to show him my tears. I couldn't talk to him let alone face him. I just ran, where to? I didn't know where I was going but I just wanted run far away from him. Where we lived in Kyoto, there was a bunch of forest areas. And surprisingly enough, that's exactly where I ran to. I ran straight towards the forest, not even caring what exactly would happen to me. I just wanted to run until I couldn't run anymore, until my legs had felt numb. I pushed the branches back and felt some small ones from the large bushes scratch my legs. The pain meant nothing to me at the moment; the only pain I felt was the fact that I had lost Arata forever. If I could've left telling him my feelings, I wouldn't have to deal with "what ifs" and then I could at least know how he felt but Arata didn't like me. Why would he? He was too special and I was such a dull person. He didn't need someone like me in his life.

Soon my legs gave out and I came crashing to the hard ground below. I laid there for a few minutes, crying because that's the only thing I had wanted to do. My eyes just kept pouring and pouring and I felt like they would never stop. I had soon fallen asleep out there, the rain still going on strong. I just felt so tired and I wanted to forget everything about this day.

When I woke up, I was still in this forest. My clothes were dirty, my hair wet and smelled like grass as well as rain. At least the raining had stopped but being out here wasn't much of a reward. I stood up and brushed as much dirt as I could off my uniform and picked up my umbrella and bookbag. I had to find a way out of here, but I figured it would be easy but boy was I wrong. Every tree looked the same and I felt like I was going around in circles. I was lost and I didn't know how I got in here or how I was going to get out. Every time I tried to run through an area where I felt like I didn't run through yet, I found myself in the same position as I was a few minutes ago. This was it, I was lost out here. Nobody would find me, they wouldn't know where to look for me. I was going to be stuck out here forever… I fell down to my knees, feeling myself ready to cry all over again. This had to be the worst day ever, no yesterday or if it was even yesterday was the worst day. I was going to die out here after realizing how I wasn't good enough to be with Arata. How lucky I am…

It was then that I could hear what sounded like a river. I stood up and I ran towards where I heard it and I felt happy that this was a sign. A sign that I wouldn't be stuck out in this forest anymore! I would be able to find my way back to what would be my old home, I would be leaving and it was probably best that I did after what I had did. Arata didn't need to see me and I didn't need to see him. As soon as I reached what I thought at first was a river, I had seen a giant bridge and not just that, was I at a waterfall? I had never seen this before but when have I ever gone out into a forest and got lost? For a while, I stood there and stared at it and was unsure if I wanted to cross it. I didn't remember crossing one yesterday when I ran here and so it probably didn't lead to somewhere I would be able to find my way back home. And it lead sto another thick forest. I sighed, I had turned around but then I thought I heard footsteps. I turned back around and I saw a tall man with thick, unkempt black hair and broad shoulders. He didn't seem real because I could see through him.

He stopped halfway and he turned back and looked at me with a warm smile. I stared at him, frozen and unsure what I was actually seeing before me. I felt the oddest thing, I felt like I wanted to follow him. I wanted to chase him and so as always, my legs were on the move, and I ran across the bridge but I had went right through him and when I touched the other side… Everything had changed. The trees that were dark and not dressed with leaves had suddenly disappeared. The sky that I could not see was a bright blue, and then it felt cold, really cold. Then there was snow all around me, and then when I turned around. I was surrounded by snow and ocean. Just what happened to Japan? My eyes fervently looked around, unsure of what was going on. What is going on? Am I dreaming?

I didn't know how to feel but I felt like I was probably losing my mind. That I had probably not wakened up yet. I dropped my umbrella, I pinched myself, and I picked up my umbrella just to whack myself in the head with it. "What is she doing?" I heard, my eyes going towards where I heard the voice. I had seen two people, standing there and gawking at me. "Do you think she's crazy?" I heard one say, the thing that they were talking to had nodded their head. I held my umbrella close, afraid of what was happening. Okay, so maybe I was dreaming after all but what did this all mean? I just wanted to see my mother! "Hey!" A female voice shouted at me, the two people had gone closer to me. I continued to stare at them but then I could everything growing dark and the voices growing father. Everything had gone black.


	2. This odd world becomes odder

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, though I wish I do, Avatar the last airbender or its characters. Umeko is just my character, and so I own her. Mm, yeah... Pretty much it.

**AN:** The reviews made me so happy and I hope I get more! Please stay tuned. R&R!

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"I could hear my grandmother's voice echo in my head. The story of the cursed town and its people so clear in my mind. It was as if my grandmother was right beside me, talking in that sweet and warm voice of hers. I kept envisioning the warm smile on her face and how her eyes seemed to light up as she retold the story. I knew that it meant so much to her, she loved that story and the characters in it more than anything. I can't help but feel guilty now, seeing it as a childish fairy-tale and losing faith in its existence as I grown older. I could see that it saddened her, the hurt on her face of how I thought it was something of a child's dream. Like all children, I felt it was just a simple story told to me to entertain me but my grandmother stood by that tale as if it was real. How could it be real? How could you believe in people with cat ears and a God with a part of him missing because of his envious, evil brother? People transforming into animals of the zodiac? It sounded completely far-fetched. How in the world could it be true? Even now I still feel that way and there's this strong haze over me and I feel pretty weak. I must've fell asleep or fell on something because my head hurts really bad. I think I'm asleep, maybe I should try to wake up…"

The thoughts had ended as the young, teenage girl had done another turn so that she was lying on her right side. Her eyes had slowly opened, blinking several times in a slow fashion as she tried to overcome the blur that was over them. She turned once again until she was lying on her back, but she had sat up and rubbed her right wrist over her right eye and her left wrist over her left eye. Soon, her vision was back to normal and she had looked around to see that she was in what looked to be an odd room. _'Where am I?'_ Umeko mentally asked herself as she placed her hand on her head, her hazel eyes slowly looking down at her legs that were underneath the blankets of the cot. She tried to recollect her thoughts, to remember what led her here. Nothing came to mind, her mind feeling blank and she soon closed her eyes as she felt a sharp pain. _'I must've hit my head.'_ She said to herself, her memory bank still empty.

Removing the covers off of the lower half in her body, she had looked at her uniform skirt and that's when some memories came flooding back. _'Someone must have found me in the forest. I fell asleep out there and I never went back home… Home. Oh no, mom must be worried about me. How long have I been asleep?'_ The girl immediately went to her feet, but her petite foot slid across the bedding of the futon below her and she came crashing forward. A hiss escaped her as pushed herself up, her right hand flat against the floor and her elbow helping her stay up. She slowly made herself get back on her feet. Despite the fall, the only thing that came across her mind is to find whoever who had found her and brought her to safety. She had to thank them and immediately get home. The dark-haired female then noticed that she was not in a house, or more like not a Japanese one. Was she in a tent? This, this was a tent for sure.

She looked around, not believing what she actually seeing. All she could see were things of blue, like curtains and such hanging around. "Am I… Am I still asleep?" She asked herself aloud, but then she had soon heard footsteps. "Ah, you're awake!" She heard and then spun, looking at the girl who had lowered her hood. "You shouldn't be moving around too much, you fell unconscious when we saw you." She had to be about two years younger than her, and she wore such heavy clothes. That's right, wasn't this an tent? "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble… You see, I'm not sure where I am." She had said to the strange girl. "Oh, you're in the South Pole." The other female said in a matter of fact tone. "S-S-SOUTH POLE?!" Umeko slapped her hands on her face, internally screaming at this revelation. "There's no way… I was just in Japan and—" The girl seemed puzzled. "Japan? What's Japan? Is that like a village?"

Oh no. Oh no no no, "No… No, it's a nation, an island nation. It's in the pacific ocean…" The girl shook her head, "east of China, Korea, and…" The girl continued to shake her head in utter confusion, "and called 'Land of the Rising Sun'." The girl gasped, "Is that the Fire Nation?" Umeko appeared utterly confused. "Fire Nation? What's a Fire Nation?"

. . .

"You don't know the Fire Nation?" The young girl questioned in disbelief, not comprehending how this girl had no clue who the people who had been taking over the world nearly for the past 100 years. "…We're in a giant war!" She threw her arms up, Umeko looked frightened and confused. "W-What war?!" The brown-haired girl before her slapped her palm against her forehead, no amount of disbelief could be written or expressed. "Okay, sit down. I'm going to tell you everything." Umeko frowned, unsure of what she was going to learn and what was ahead of her. She had sat down around the fire next to the girl, "You never told me your name." Umeko had said as the girl had looked at her, first out of surprise and then out of embarrassment. "Right! My name is Katara, what's yours?" She had asked as Umeko gave her a small smile. "My name is Umeko." She had said. "That's a nice name." Katara complimented her, "Yours too. It's really different. I never left Japan before and so… it's really new to me."

"Before I tell about the Fire Nation, what's this Japan like?" Katara had asked her, her eyes were beaming with curiosity. She could tell immediately that Katara was the type to love to learn new things, her mind curious of all things foreign to her. Umeko didn't mind indulging in it, she just worried if she didn't make things sound as… as great as she could. "Well… It's a big, big place fill with high buildings. Tower-like." The younger teenager next to her ahhed, amazed at the sounds. "And everyone is pretty much, well, strange." She laughed uneasily, "But we're normal people. Like everyday people, and… well… we have cars." She shrugged, unsure of how to really explain it all. "What's a car?" asked Katara. "A car is a vehicle that takes you from here and to another place fast. We have trains and busses too. We have this one train that's super-fast, it's called a bullet train." The girl seemed even more intrigued at Umeko's explanation.

"Uhm… There's a lot of things to really say about Japan, but that'll take forever." Umeko laughed nervously as Katara had let out a giggle. "So, about the Fire Nation and about this place…?" The otherworldly female asked as Katara nodded and stared into the fire. "There used to be a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But that all changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar mastered all four elements. Only he could stop the ruthless firebenders."

Umeko began to frown when she could hear the hatred, the distain in Katara's voice when she spoke of the firebenders." But when the world needed him most, he vanished. A hundred years have passed and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, my father and the men of my tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after our tribe. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken, but I haven't lost hope. I still believe that somehow the Avatar will return to save the world." Umeko had stared into the fire, her eyes watching the dancing embers and flame.

"So, in this world… Some people control an element and they are called benders..." So, her grandmother wasn't crazy for believing in that story after all. All of it was true from the beginning down to the end. "So, do you control an element?" Umeko had asked her as the blue-eyed girl beside her had looked down at her small hands. "Well… I can bend water, I'm the last people of our tribe to do so… But I haven't mastered it." Katara sighed heavily, feeling discouraged. "Well, you can't give up hope. One day, you just might do it." Umeko had said with a smile. "I always use to not believe in myself… So, I'm telling you not to let opportunities go by or else you'll regret them." Katara had felt a bit of confidence at the girl's piece of advice. "Thanks."

"Katara," A voice came from outside, "what happened to that-" The boy paused once he came inside the tent and looked at both the girls, specifically at Umeko. "Why, uh… Hello!" His whole demeanor had changed as he began clearing his throat, hitting his chest with his fist and sitting next to her. "I'm Sokka, Sokka of the Southern Watertribe. Nice to meet you!" Umeko had smiled at his overly friendly demeanor, giggling almost at how eager he seemed to be. His sister meanwhile rolled her eyes, somewhat glaring at her brother. "Sokka, don't scare her away. She's from another world! How cool is that." Her brother slightly leaned in, looking at her with a somewhat skeptical and bewildered expression. "Another world? So, you're talking about there is another world and that's where she's from?" He questioned, pointing at her with his thumb. "That's exactly what I'm saying, Sokka. She's from this place called Japan."

Sokka's blue eyes had now rested on the girl before him, he began to rub his chin. "Japan…" He hummed. Umeko had smiled, "Yes, Japan. It's not a world, it's like… Uhm, it's like a nation but there are many. It's not a country. We have countries, islands, and nations." Umeko began to explained, "The bigger countries make up continents, which makes seven. We have North America, South America, Africa, Australia, Europe, and Asia! And that's where I'm from, Asia. Japan is in Asia." She explained as Katara seemed enthused while her brother still was skeptical. "… That sounds like a bunch of jibber jabber to me." He replied as Umeko frowned and his sister growled. "Then explain her clothes, Sokka! And this!" She had picked up Umeko's black umbrella. "What is this by the way?" asked Katara. "It's an umbrella." She had stood up, "Well… Uh… It's bad luck to open it inside a home. So, I'll show you once we go outside."

"Oh… And here, I'm going to give you some clothes. Your legs are exposed and it's too cold to dress like that." Sokka had then noticed Umeko's short skirt, his cheeks flaring up. "W-Why are you wearing something so short in the first place?" He asked her. "That's pretty indecent exposure if you ask me." The school girl placed her hands on her bare legs. "Well, it's a school uniform. Girls wear this outfit to school. Where we live, this isn't indecent exposure." She had explained as he looked away, "That's just crazy!" He mumbled away as Umeko shook her head with a smile. Katara had stood and went to go find an extra pair of clothes for Umeko.

"So…" Sokka had began to say, his arms crossed over his chest as the strange girl was looking at the fire pit. "If you're from another world, how did you get here?" He had asked her as she had looked away from the fire and then back at him. "Well…" The girl tilted her head back, tapping her chin with her forefinger. "I ran into the woods and got lost then I heard a river and so when I got there I saw a bridge and on that bridge I saw a man… He looked like someone I should know… Someone I should trust." She had said as she closed her eyes, "And then… when I crossed the bridge everything changed and then I was here. And that's it. I don't know how but…" Umeko shrugged her shoulders. Sokka still didn't look like he believed it, but he took it as an exceptional answer. "What's odd is that you look watertribe." He had then went on to say. "I do?" She questioned.

"Your eyes are blue." He said as she shook her head. "No, no. My eyes are brown. There is no way that they are blue." Sokka sighed, "Katara!" He called his sister, who had walked over with a pair of clothes and a large jacket for Umeko. "What is it now, Sokka?" His sister had asked. "She doesn't believe her eyes are blue. Tell her that her eyes are blue." Katara had started handing the girl the clothes, "You didn't know?" She had asked Umeko. "I didn't know? My eyes have always been brown! Ever since I was born, I don't know why they are blue." The girl shook her head in disbelief, "Yeah, they are blue. Kind of like an azure blue." Katara said, "Wait, let me go get a mirror." The girl had then ran off and began to search.

Umeko had sighed. "This is all so weird and sudden…" Her shoulders slouched as she felt confused. "I don't even know what to think or feel… How can my eyes change color? Why am I in this world? Why is all of this happening to me…?" She questioned, her mind began to be jumbled with constant thoughts. There was so much running through her mind that she began to have a headache. She immediately placed her hands on her head, both palms pressing against her temples as she let out a pain filled hiss. "Don't stress yourself." Katara had said as she grew concerned by the hissing of pain that was escaped the girl before her. "You need to eat and get some more rest. We won't bombard you with questions again." She seemed quite maternal to be young at least that was what Umeko thought.

With a nod of her head, Umeko had accepted the bowl of soup that Katara had handed her and took some sips. "This is delicious!" Umeko said happily, smiling from ear to ear as the flavor of the soup had brought a sense of delight to her tastebuds. "Oh, it's just Watertribe soup. It's nothing really." Katara remained modest but Sokka could tell that Katara loved the praise of her cooking. "Right. It's just a plain ole dish that anyone could make. Katara's soup is no different." The boy preyed on his sister's ego which he had succeeded as she shot him a mean glare. Umeko was unaware of the siblings bickering eyes, she continued to sip the soup in delight until her stomach was full and the bowl was empty. "Ah, that really hit the spot." She sighed and rubbed her stomach. "I'm really tired now." Umeko had slowly crawled to the cot and then laid down.

Katara and Sokka had looked at one another as the strange girl let out a yawn, stretched, and then closed her eyes. Sokka had walked over and pulled the blanket over her as she was already fast asleep. "She's a weird one." Sokka commented. "She's like you. After you eat, you get all sluggy and tired." His sister said as his face dropped and he looked at her from the corner of his eyes. "I have you know I'm always tired from protecting us all every day." He shook his fist. "Protecting us from what? Penguins?" Katara knew she had picked a nerve, her brother letting out a frustrated groan. "Anyway, I should go tell Gran Gran everything. She'll wanna know about this girl that's sleeping here." Katara had then made her way towards the exit of the tent, Sokka watched his sister leave and then looked at the sleeping girl.

"Why am I always surrounded by women?"

**/ / /**

By the time that Umeko had woken up, she could hear the siblings bickering about something. "I don't know what that is! What do you expect me to do? Wake her up and make her do something about it! Its her contraption!" Umeko was half awake, but she could comprehend what they were saying. 'What are they talking about? What contraption?' She questioned as she could then hear a song: _'Kami-sama arigatou unmei no itazura demo. Meguri aeta koto ga shiawase nano.'_ That's when she realized that was her cellphone. "E-Ehhh?!" She had immediately sat up and fumbled herself out of the blankets and crawled over to her bookbag and searched deep and grabbed her cellphone. She had seen that her morning alarm had gone off. "Sorry! That was my phone." She had said as both siblings had bent their knees, their faces looking at the cellular phone. She had looked at them both, now remembering that neither one of them had knew what a cellphone nor what a phone was. "What's a phone?" Katara was the first to ask. "And what does it do? Can I touch it?" Sokka then asked as Umeko had handed him the object.

"Uhm, well… It is what we use to communicate with other people. Usually someone else has one and we can dial a number that leads their phone and talked to them or send them messages, in words, and talk back to one another." Katara had peeked over her brother's shoulder at the phone. "Wow, that's so neat!" Katara had said in a rather excited manner. "How does it do that?" asked Sokka as he looked at Umeko from the corner of his eyes and then back at the phone. The girl shrugged, "I'm not really a technical person and I believe it all really stems down from a certain network and connections and things like that…" She laughed nervously. "So, you said an alarm went off. Is that bad?" asked Katara. "No, not at all." Umeko shook her head. "It's not like a danger or evil alarm. It was something to wake me up to remind me to do something or get ready for school. I always sleep until late." She laughed in a rather nervous fashion.

"So do I!" The younger girl had said rather proudly, "But that's because I'm a waterbender. Waterbenders are connected to the moon and so when the moon rises, we usually rise as well." She said in a rather matter-of-fact tone. The older female nodded, understanding and believing her words. There was no real reason to doubt Katara or Sokka, they seemed like fairly honest people. "Uh, Umeko, you have a message from A-Arata-kun whatever." He said, showing her the screen and notification. Instantly, she felt a wave of pain over her chest, and most importantly her heart. Her eyes looked rather sad, her lips once forming a smile had gone down in a front. Arata…

"Oh." She found herself uttering, not really knowing what to say and how to deal with the memory of the boy she loved being taken away by another girl. "Don't worry about it." She shook her head and forced a big smile, not wanting them to worry or feel the need to dig deep on who Arata was. However, the siblings had caught her quick change of emotions but they decided not to question it. "Well, I should be trying to figure out how to go back home. I should be looking for that bridge!" She had said as her eyes scanned around the room. "First, we need to change your clothes." Katara had said as Sokka fiddled with the cellphone still. "Can I take a bath first?" Umeko had asked.

"Sure. I was setting it up for you since I knew you would want one." Katara had said as the girl had followed her outside, the cold air had instantly touched her legs and caused the girl to shiver. "O-O-O-O…" She couldn't even get the words out because she was beyond cold. She was freezing! Katara chuckled as the girl's teeth began to chatter, her eyes the size of dinner plates, and her legs hitting together. She had grabbed the girl's hand and led her to the bath area. Some hot water would definitely do her some good.

When Umeko had woken up, she could hear the siblings bickering about something. "I don't know what that is! What do you expect me to do? Wake her up and make her do something about it! Its her contraption!" Umeko was half awake, but she could comprehend what they were saying. 'What are they talking about? What contraption?' She questioned as she could then hear a song: _'Kami-sama arigatou unmei no itazura demo. Meguri aeta koto ga shiawase nano.'_ That's when she realized that was her cellphone. "E-Ehhh?!" She had immediately sat up and fumbled herself out of the blankets and crawled over to her bookbag and searched deep and grabbed her cellphone. She had seen that her morning alarm had gone off. "Sorry! That was my phone." She had said as both siblings had bent their knees, their faces looking at the cellular phone. She had looked at them both, now remembering that neither one of them had knew what a cellphone nor what a phone was. "What's a phone?" Katara was the first to ask. "And what does it do? Can I touch it?" Sokka then asked as Umeko had handed him the object.

"Uhm, well… It is what we use to communicate with other people. Usually someone else has one and we can dial a number that leads their phone and talked to them or send them messages, in words, and talk back to one another." Katara had peeked over her brother's shoulder at the phone. "Wow, that's so neat!" Katara had said in a rather excited manner. "How does it do that?" asked Sokka as he looked at Umeko from the corner of his eyes and then back at the phone. The girl shrugged, "I'm not really a technical person and I believe it all really stems down from a certain network and connections and things like that…" She laughed nervously. "So, you said an alarm went off. Is that bad?" asked Katara. "No, not at all." Umeko shook her head. "It's not like a danger or evil alarm. It was something to wake me up to remind me to do something or get ready for school. I always sleep until late." She laughed in a rather nervous fashion.

"So do I!" The younger girl had said rather proudly, "But that's because I'm a waterbender. Waterbenders are connected to the moon and so when the moon rises, we usually rise as well." She said in a rather matter-of-fact tone. The older female nodded, understanding and believing her words. There was no real reason to doubt Katara or Sokka, they seemed like fairly honest people. "Uh, Umeko, you have a message from A-Arata-kun whatever." He said, showing her the screen and notification. Instantly, she felt a wave of pain over her chest, and most importantly her heart. Her eyes looked rather sad, her lips once forming a smile had gone down in a front. Arata…

"Oh." She found herself uttering, not really knowing what to say and how to deal with the memory of the boy she loved being taken away by another girl. "Don't worry about it." She shook her head and forced a big smile, not wanting them to worry or feel the need to dig deep on who Arata was. However, the siblings had caught her quick change of emotions but they decided not to question it. "Well, I should be trying to figure out how to go back home. I should be looking for that bridge!" She had said as her eyes scanned around the room. "First, we need to change your clothes." Katara had said as Sokka fiddled with the cellphone still. "Can I take a bath first?" Umeko had asked.

"Sure. I was setting it up for you since I knew you would want one." Katara had said as the girl had followed her outside, the cold air had instantly touched her legs and caused the girl to shiver. "O-O-O-O…" She couldn't even get the words out because she was beyond cold. She was freezing! Katara chuckled as the girl's teeth began to chatter, her eyes the size of dinner plates, and her legs hitting together. She had grabbed the girl's hand and led her to the bath area. Some hot water would definitely do her some good.

After her long and much welcomed bath, she had changed into the new pair of clothes Katara had given her. She received purple loose and long pants, a blue robe that had accentuated her body quite nicely, brown short boobs, and a long blue fur-hooded coat to top it off and some purple gloves. Now she wouldn't die from freezing. She had folded her clothes neatly and slipped them inside her school bag which was quite roomy since she remembered she turned in all her textbooks and didn't get but a few thin notebooks for certain classes. As she walked back to the tent, she had finally took note to the other villagers as they seemed to be going about their normal lives.

In front of the tent was Katara watching her brother try to operate the umbrella she had told them about yesterday. When she was in close enough distance, Sokka had spoken. "Now are you going to tell me what this is and what is it for? Is this some sort of weapon?" Umeko had smiled and shook her head. "It could be used as one, I guess… But it's to keep you dry during the rain." Both siblings look mystified, "But how?" She had shook her head and took the umbrella and pressed the small button at the top of the handled and watched them jump back when it opened. "It's safe, but see?" She had held the hand and had the open part of the umbrella over her head so that she was under it. "It shields you from rain and snow. Parasols are like this, but used to shield people from the sun." She had explained.

"Hey lady, what is that?" She heard what seemed to be a child. She had turned around as a bunch of kids were standing behind her, their eyes staring at the umbrella. "Oh, it's an umbrella. It's supposed to shield you from the rain or snow." She had said. "Why would you want to be shielded from the snow?" One boy asked. "Just in case you don't want to get bombarded with snowflakes or sick, y'know? Or if you don't want your hair wet and messy." She explained as they nodded, "So it's mainly for girls, right?" Another boy had said. "No, boys can use them too." She explained as all the kids looked at each other and spoke as she soon closed. "Now I get to finally meet you." This time, it was an older woman's voice she had heard. "Oh, Umeko, this is my Gran Gran, Kanna." Katara had introduced.

Umeko had done short but polite bow. "Hello." She said with utmost respect, "Oh my." The woman giggled. "Now that's a girl with respect and manners." Kanna had said as Katara pouted, "Gran Gran..." The elderly woman had chuckled as Umeko had greeted her with a smile. "Now child, Katara explained everything to me. You're from another world? How strange but the Spirits of your world and ours must have something in store for you." Umeko had looked quite puzzle. _'The spirits of my world and theirs? What could they possibly have in store for me?'_ She could guarantee that she wasn't a spiritual person before all this, but she certainly believed in them now!

"Well, I have to be going fishing. I'm gonna feed for three tonight." Katara's brother had said, Umeko looking at him. "Oh," She shook her head, "let me join or help, I don't want to be a nuisance to you during my stay here." She tried to help. "We can both go with him, right Sokka?" He had looked at them both, quite unsure. He knew that fighting them both would only leave him losing anyway. So what the hell was what he thought. He shrugged his shoulders and then turned in a quick and swift motion, "Let's go." Katara smiled. "See you later Gran Gran!" She had said as Umeko bowed again, "See you!" She then followed behind Katara as they near the end of large land and towards the icy waters.

Sokka had then pulled the three person canoe and then adjusted it so that they could all climb in. Katara was the first, Umeko going second, and Sokka climbing in third as they all began to row the bow with their own paddles. They had gone far out and then finally stopped as Sokka caught one particular fish that was swimming close to the surface. "It's not getting away from me this time. Watch and learn, Katara. Umeko. This is how you catch a fish." He had said as Umeko watched him with curious eyes he was going to demonstrate.

Katara, however, had her eyes on something else. "Sokka, Umeko, look!" They heard her say as Umeko had turned to look, Sokka was busy trying to catch that one particular fish. Umeko, however, was amazed at seeing a large, circular-like globe of water holding a fish inside. "Is that what you call waterbending?" Umeko had asked as Katara nodded happily. "That's so cool!" the girl was amazed while Sokka still kept his eyes trained on that one fished. As he cocked his arm back, ready to strike the fish. Katara's globe of water had burst and all of them had gotten drenched and Sokka agitated. "Oops…" The girl said, a nervous expression now forming on her face.

"Ugh! Why is it that every time you play with magic water I get soaked?" Her brother was quite upset that he didn't catch the fish he had his eyes trained on. "It's not magic. It's waterbending, and it's" Umeko looked at Katara and then back at Sokka, "Yeah, yeah, an ancient art unique to our culture, blah blah blah. Look, I'm just saying that if I had weird powers, I'd keep my weirdness to myself." H ehad said which had only sparked his to sister get angry and quite upset. "Oh boy…" Umeko mumbled as she watched the two, not sure on what to do. "You're calling me weird? I'm not the one who makes muscles at myself every time I see my reflection in the water." His sister argued back, and what was funny was that he was doing just what he said.

He felt his cheeks flush as he looked at Umeko, who quickly looked away and train to restrain herself from laughing. He gave his sister a look, to show how embarrassed he was. Suddenly there was a bump and the boat had rocked dangerously from side to side. All three of them had noticed they had entered an icey area of the South Pole waters. Sokka and Katara had desperately tried to move the canoe between the icebergs while Umeko was at a lost and didn't want to do something that would cause a mistake. All three of them then screamed in panic, "Watch out! Go left! Go left!" Katara had instructed as the canoe had somehow made its way through the ice pack. Icebergs had begun hitting one another all around them, but somehow they managed to escape unscathed.

Suddenly, the boat was then crushed when three icebergs had collided at once. Katara and Sokka had pulled Umeko out, jumping out in time to one of the more flat landed icebergs. All three of them had sighed in relief. However, Umeko had knew that their new situation wasn't desired either. "You called that a left?" Katara had scolded her brother. "You don't like my steering? Well, maybe you should have waterbended us out of the ice." Well, they were an arguing couple of siblings. But she had always heard that siblings argued like that, especially from one of her friends. She didn't have any so she didn't know the feeling.

Umeko had stared out into the ocean, her eyes then looking up the huge towering icebeg that had looked like it could touch the sky. "I knew I should have left you two home. Leave it to a girl to screw things up!" Of course she felt offended, but she didn't even need to be angry because Katara had soaked up her anger and combined it with her own. Her finger then pointed at her brother, her face scrunched up in anger as she spoke. "You are the most sexist," wave, "immature," wave, "nutbrained…" As Katara got angrier, Umeko had noticed the iceberg they were on heaving. Now a huge icebeg was cracking behind her and she had known that it must've been Katara's bending, and that she was doing it subconsciously. "Ugh, I'm embarrassed to be related to you! Ever since Mom died I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier!"

Sokka had also been looking at the iceberg that was cracking. "Uh… Katara?" He found himself saying. "I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you, NOT PLEASANT!" Umeko had suppressed a laugh. "Katara! Settle down!" He tried to warn his sister who was still going on her angry rant. "No, that's it. I'm done helping you. From now on, you're on your own!" By the end of her rant, and screaming of course, the iceberg behind her split all the way open. It disintegrated and large pieces fell into the water, pushing their small iceberg away. All three of them had clung onto it until it settled. "Okay, you've gone from weird to freakish, Katara." Her brother her said, dismissing her rant. "You mean I did that?" Katara then questioned as they both looked at Umeko to confirm it.

She had looked back at them, a nervous smile on her face as she was unsure if Katara had finally cooled down. "Mhm." She nodded. "Yup. Congratulations." Her brother had said as all three of them leaned over the edge of the iceberg raft. Out of nowhere, an ethereal color of blue had glowed in the water beneath. All three of them were frightened and so they had move backwards as another, lighter colored iceberg had rose and broke the surface. As it had settled, Katara had walked to the edge of the raft to get a better look. "Is there someone inside of it?" Umeko had questioned, feeling like her eyes were deceiving her that there was a boy meditating in the iceberg. He had glowing white arrows on his fist and on his bald head, and not a second later his eyes glowed along with his tattoos.

"He's alive! We have to help." Katara had said as she had grabbed her brother's spear, pulling down her hood and turning to the boy in the iceberg. Umeko had ran over to her, wondering if she could assist her. "Katara, Umeko!" Sokka yelled at them both, scolding them. "What are you two doing? We don't know what that thing is!" He yelled at them. "It looks like someone in trouble, Sokka." Umeko tried to reason with him. "He looks perfectly untroubled to me! I mean look at him, he's meditating. He is completely zen!" Both girls had decided to ignore him and skipped across a few little icebergs to the giant one in which the boy was trapped. Reluctantly, Sokka had followed behind them. Katara had bodly began using the makeshift spear to whack the ice.

"It's not working!" She had yelled as Umeko had frowned, "We can't give up!" Umeko had tried to encourage Katara to continue on. After a few big, strong hits to it, the iceberg had cracked and gush of air had release. It began to crack from the top and make its way to the bottom, and then it had exploded open. A huge shaft of white blue light shoots straight into the sky above them. Suddenly, the aurora lights had filled the sky and then the light had dissipated. Sokka had shielde both girls from the blast and all three of them had looked up to see a residual, blue light still swirling around the top of the iceberg.

Then a boy had appeared, his eyes and tattoos glowing a bright white. Sokka had taken his spear and raised it to the boy, moving the girls behind him to protect them. "Stop!" He ordered the strange boy, Umeko and Katara peeking over Sokka's shoulder at the strange young boy, who was now standing and his glow now fading. He then fell, passing out, and slid down the side of the broken iceberg to the trio of teenagers. Katara had moved forward, catching him while he fell. Sokka had poked the boy in the head with the blunt end of his staff while Umeko placed her hands on her knees, staring at the boy. "Stop it!" Katara told her brother, glaring at him slightly. Katara had turned him over so that he was lying on his back. The boy then woke up, his grey eyes now visible as he took an intake of breath. "I need to ask you something." His voice was weak and low.

"What?" Katara had said as Umeko looked up to Sokka, who was looking back at her. "Please… come closer." His voice was hushed and whisper-like. Katara had slightly leaned forward as he requested, "Will you go penguin sledding with me?" He had asked so childishly, his voice normal and not in that weaken state as he portrayed it. Umeko had looked completely dumbfounded along with Katara, who eventually answered the boy's question. "Uh… sure. I guess." was he reply as the boy had controlled the air around him and maneuvered himself to his feet and rub the back of his bald, tattooed head. "Ahh!" Sokka yelled, most likely in disbelief. "What's going on here?" asked the odd boy. "You tell us!" Sokka went on to say, "How'd you get in the ice?" He poked the boy with his speak once again, "and why aren't your frozen?"

The boy had moved his hand towards the spear, shooing it away absently. "I'm not sure…" He then reeled back and gasped, running towards the icebeg as Umeko had stood next to Katara as he jumped over the crater and is now on a rather huge furry beast. "Appa! Are you alright? Wake up, buddy!" The boy had said desperately. "Appa?" Umeko had repeated, bewildered. The odd boy then leaned down and opens one of the beast's eyes. He closes it again. He then hops down Aang hops down and tries to lift the animal's huge head, but without effect. Katara, Umeko and Sokka come around the corner and their mouths drop in shock as the see the monster, whose mouth opens and licks the boy trying to wake him up. "Haha! You're okay!" He hugs "Appa" who is now free from the iceberg. It was bison with sixlegs and horns like an ox or a steer. He then shook himself, getting all the snow from his fur. "What is that thing?" Sokka asked.

"This is Appa, my flying bison." The boy had said as he stroked the bison's fur. "Right. And this is Katara, my flying sister. And this is Umeko, the girl that fell from the sky." He sarcastically introduced them, but before the tattooed boy could say anything, the bison began to sneeze. The boy ducked in the right time as the bison sneezed all over Sokka who was covered in bison snot. "Ewww! Aahh!" Sokka yelped, now covered in snot, tried to get rid of it by rolling around on the ice and snow. "Don't worry. It'll wash out." Umeko had watched Sokka continue to suffer, "Ugh…" She wanted to help but she also didn't want to touch bison snot. "So, do you guys live around here?" asked the strange boy in which Umeko and Katara had looked at him. "Don't answer that!" Their attention went right back to Sokka, "Did you see that crazy bolt of light? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy."

His sister rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, I'm sure he's a spy for the Fire Navy. You can tell by that evil look in his eyes." She was obviously being sarcastic, especially as far as Umeko knew because this boy had reeked with innocence. "The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka. You never told us your name." Katara had introduced her sibling. "I'm A… ahhhh- ahhhhh- ahhh aaaah…." Umeko had stepped back and pulled Katara with her, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAACHOOOOOOOO!" The force of his sneeze had made him zip right off the ground and into the air, which wasn't quite normal. He then swirled himself back to the ground and calmly answered her question as if none of that just happened. "I'm Aang." He had said while sniffling and rubbing his small nose.

"You just sneezed… and flew ten feet in the air." Sokka said incredulously. "Really? It felt higher than that." Aang had said as Katara then gasped. "You're an airbender!" An airbender? Was it really that much of a shock? Then again, she probably would be surprise from how secluded the South Pole was from the rest of this world. "Sure am." Aang had said confidently. "Giant light beams… flying bison…airbenders. I think I've got Midnight Sun Madness. I'm going home to where stuff make sense." Sokka had said as he had walked towards the edge of the iceberg. "Well, if you guys are stuck Appa and I can give you a lift." Aang had suggested as he airbended himself onto the bison's head and then to the top of his back where there is an enormous saddles and reigns attached Appa's horns. "We'd love a ride! Thanks!" She had climbed on.

Umeko and Sokka had stayed behind, standing next to each other. "Oh, no… I am not getting on that fluffy snot monster." He shook his head defiantly. "Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home? You know... before you freeze to death?" The boy was about to say something, his finger rising in the air but since he could not think of the words, he gave up and climbs in it. Now the three of them were looking at Umeko, who was playing with her fingers and looking down at her feet. "Umeko?" Katara called out to her, her face still showing her excitement. "Come on!" The girl furiously shook her head, "Nope!" She so proudly said. "Uh, why not?" Katara asked. "I'm…. I'm afraid of heights!" Umeko had admitted, "I like my feet on the ground. Thank you." Sokka sighed, "Though I agree with you, Umeko… We have no other choice. Flying snot monster or freezing on a desert icebeg?" He had asked as she had looked at the iceberg and then back at the bison.

Aang had gave her a big smile, Katara had hopeful eyes, and there was a look of grumpiness in Sokka's. He was right though. Would she had rather been stuck there or just hurry up and get this over with and back at a familiar place? With a sigh, she had hesitantly walked towards the bison and the started to climb up the saddle as Katara and Sokka had helped her in. "You can always hold on to me if you're too scared." Sokka had said as Umeko looked at him with an unreadable look. "Ew." She shook her head, "Not with you smelling like bison snot." Katara giggled as Aang laughed while her brother groaned and then folded his arms. "

"Okay. First time flyers, hold on tight! Appa, yip yip!" The airbender had shook Appa's reigns as the bison had let out a low mumble. His huge, wide tail then flapped and his feet began to go off the ground. Umeko had held tightly to Katara, who had tried to calm the girl down. Appa then had spread all six of his legs, but then came right back down to the water with a huge splash and began to swim. Aang had shook the reigns again, "Come on, Appa. Yip yip." He tried to make the bison fly again. "Wow. That was truly amazing." Sokka sarcastically said. "Appa's just tired. A little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky. You'll see." He made a notion with his hands of how Appa would fly or more like soar. His eyes then went on Katara, staring at her with a rather goofy smile on his face.

Katara had noticed it immediately. "Why are you smiling at me like that?" She had asked. "Oh... I was smiling?" He asked, unsure. "Uuughh." Sokka groan out of disgust as Umeko had gave him a small smile. Soon, Aang and Katara began talking while Umeko had pressed her knees to her chest and let out a long sigh. "What's wrong with you?" Sokka had then asked her. Umeko had looked at him, "Well… I wonder how my mother and grandmother are. I'm pretty sure they were worried about me." She had said as the once blue afternoon sky was now turning into night. "I really hate to worry them, especially since my dad had gone missing." The watertribe boy had looked at her as she seemed down trotted. "Disappear? How did he get missing?" He had asked her as the girl shrugged his shoulders. "The day he gotten missing, I was a newborn and so I had no recollection of him."

Katara and Aang had then stopped speaking, both of them tuning into Sokka and Umeko's conversation. "My mother is all I really have left. Her and grandma. Sure, I got aunts and uncles… but they were nothing like my mother grandmother. I'm truly close to them. After all, they raised me. I know they are really losing it…" She sighed heavily. "There's no way I can tell them that I'm safe… My cellphone can work because it can't even pinpoint where exactly I am and my messages won't send. So-" Aang had interrupted her. "Don't upset yourself! You'll find a way, and it might take a while… But somehow, you'll find your way back home." He had said as she had looked at him, her eyes holding some hope. "We'll help you!" Katara had then said, "Right Sokka?" She looked towards her brother. "Not gonna say that it's a guarantee but it doesn't hurt to try." meko had smiled and then looked at Aang and Katara who looked at her with confidence. "Thanks." She nodded her head, now feeling somewhat better. "We should go to sleep." Katara then suggested as everyone had gotten settled except for Aang who had kept himself upon Appa's head.

"What a strange world…" Umeko mumbled before closing her eyes and falling asleep in the bison's saddle.


	3. The Avatar and the Fire Nation boy

**Disclaimer:** I do not own, though I wish I do, Avatar the last airbender or its characters. Umeko is just my character, and so I own her. Mm, yeah... Pretty much it.

**AN:** The reviews made me so happy and I hope I get more! Please stay tuned. R&R!

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The sounds of penguins had filled the air and woke Umeko from her slumber. Instinctively, she had sat up from the sound of the noise. Her elbows propping her up as one hand rubbed her eyes as she had let out a yawn. "Morning already?" She had said aloud but mainly to herself. Her eyes were greeted by the bright, blue sky and the smell of ocean air. She had sat up all the way and saw that Appa was still gently swimming in the ocean. Her hair had softly moved with the gentle breeze which was cold but also inviting. She had smiled and then looked to see Aang, Katara, and Sokka still asleep. She had then crawled towards Aang and carefully moved him inside the saddle. The way that he was laying had to be uncomfortable for him.

When he was fully in the saddle and laid down, he had curled up. She had sat on Appa's head, "Hey…" She said to the bison which had replied with a grunt, "uhm… I know I'm not Aang but…" She had then scratched her cheek with her glove covered hand. "The village is really close, see?" She had pointed in the direction where she had seen the makeshit, snow watchtower and the large igloo and tents. "That's the Southern Watertribe." She had said as Appa had let out another grunt and then turned and head towards that direction. "Good boy." She had patted the bison on the head as he remained silent.

"What's going on?" Katara had then said, rubbing her eyes as she just woken up. "We're almost to your home. I was making sure that Appa was going the right way." Umeko explained as Katara had looked ahead. "Oh, great!" She smiled as Umeko had looked over to Sokka, who yawned and stretched. "Are we almost home yet?" He had asked. "Yeah, see?" Katara pointed ahead. "Great. I was getting real tired of swimming on this bison boat." His sister gave him an odd looked as the boy crossed his arms and looked away and towards the ocean.

When Appa had reached the tribe, he had climbed to the surface. "Gran Gran!" Katara had said, seeing her grandmother not too far away. "Katara? Where have you been? I was so worried!" She had said as Sokka and Umeko had climbed down the saddle. "Hey Sokka, help me take Aang to one of his tents. He must be really tired." Sokka sighed heavily as he climbed back up and lifted Aang over his shoulder. "You're welcome." He said, emphasizing that his sister should've thanked him.

Kanna had then pointed to one of the free tents that the boy could sleep in. "Katara, who is that?" She had asked as her granddaughter had livened up with excitement and began re-telling the tale of what happened yesterday. Sokka had sat outside the tent and began fiddling with an object in his hands. Umeko, curious of what the boy was doing, had walked over and sat down next to him. "Whatcha doin'?" She had asked as the boy had looked at her, "Sharpenin' my boomerang." Sokka replied as Umeko leaned across his shoulder, causing the blue-eyed boy to blush from her closeness. "A boomerang? I've heard of those before!" She had gotten somewhat excited. He had raised a brow, "Oh? So they have them in your world?" He had asked as she had nodded. "What are they like?"

"Uhm… Well, they aren't used for weapons anymore. They are actually used as for sports or for fun, you can learn how to use them as a weapon but you really wouldn't need to." Umeko had explained, "They come in many different sizes. In fact, there's a show called InuYasha and there is a girl who slays demons and she has a giant boomerang made out of demons bones." Sokka had watched as the girl's eyes light up, her arms flailing about as she explained. She seemed very, very interested in this topic and he found it amusing to watch. He even sported a smile, "And it kills so many demons! It's like swish and swoosh!" She imitated how the female character had swung the giant boomerang. "It's amazing. Can you do things like that too?" She had asked him.

Sokka had cleared his throat and then his expression came rather arrogant and his voice filled with a large dosage of confidence. "Can I?" His thumb had rubbed across his nose as if to make himself seem cool, which Umeko was buying in to. "I'm like the best boomerang wielder in the world. They call me Sokka: "The boomerang boy." Umeko had looked at him in awe, "Oooh! So like, you take down all the bad guys with it?" She had asked. "Well," He seemed stumped, "I haven't fought before but I'm prepared! The Fire Nation better watch out for this guy." He pointed to himself with both thumbs, a grin on his face. Umeko had clapped her hands, feeding into his already large ego.

"What are you two talking about over here?" Katara had asked, walking over to them. "Tellin' Umeko about my sharp boomerang skills with my trusty boomerang." Her brother said proudly as he waved the weapon side to side and accident hitting the side of his head. "Ow!" He yelped as his sister chuckled. "Right, trusty boomerang." She teased as the boy pouted and rubbed the side of his head. "I'm sure Sokka is good at it." The girl beside him had said, believing in Sokka's boomerang skills. "See? She believes in me!" He had pointed at Umeko beside him. "That's because she doesn't know you like I do." Katara had folded her arms, "Trust me, Umeko. You'll second guess." And with that, she had walked inside the tent to wake up Aang. Sokka growled at his sister's words as Umeko looked at him, wondering if Katara was telling the truth.

"My sister is just fascinated by new people." Sokka sighed, "I don't know if that's a good thing though." He went on to say as he had continued sharpening the boomerang. Umeko had pulled her knees to her chest, looking at him with wonder. "Is it because of the war? And the Fire Nation?" She had asked as he had looked at the girl from the corner of his eyes. "Yeah… The Fire Nation hasn't bothered us in a couple of years." She frowned, "The Fire Nation had attacked here before?" She had asked him. "Yeah, a couple of times. One time, they took away me and Katara's mom." Maybe that was the reason why she had never seen their parents. She hadn't even thought about, "But what about your dad?" She had asked as Sokka's face had changed to a rather solemn look. "He's fighting in the war." His voice was honest and calm.

"And so, you're supposed to protect everyone here?" She had asked as Sokka looked at her, quite surprised. "Yeah." He had said, "My father entrusted that to me." She had smiled softly. "I can tell because you are very serious and skeptical about almost everything. It is because you aren't sure who is friend and who is foe and all you want to do is protect your tribe and family." She had looked away as he seemed amazed by her observation. Had she really been paying attention to all those small things? Suddenly Katara had came running out the tent with Aang who was carrying a staff. "Whaaaaaaa!" He yelled as he was being pulled out.

Everyone in the village, women and children mostly, had gathered around to see him. Sokka and Umeko had sat by the tent, watching with curious eyes. "Aang, this is the entire village. Entire village, Aang." She had introduced each other, the boy bowing to them in a respectful manner. However, the reaction of the people weren't as friendly or polite, instead they had took a step back with frantic faces. "Uh... why are they all looking at me like that? Did Appa sneeze on me?" Aang asked, worried about the expression. Kanna had walked over to explain the situation. "Well, no one has seen an airbender in a hundred years. We thought they were extinct until my granddaughter and grandson found you."

"Extinct?" The boy repeated incredulously. Katara had quickly changed the subject. "Aang, this is my grandmother." The waterbender had said as Sokka stood, Umeko watching and then following along. "Call me Gran Gran." Kanna said warmly. Sokka had grabbed the young airbender's staff, inspecting it. "What is this, a weapon? You can't stab anything with this." He had deduced. "It's not for stabbing." Aang corrected as he created a jet of air and brought the staff back to his hand and out of Sokka's. "It's for airbending." He then opened the staff, red wings sprouting out swiftly from the sides. "Magic trick! Do it again!" One child had said, a little girl in fact. "Not magic, airbending. It lets me control the air currents around my glider and fly." Another explanation was given by Aang. "You know, last time I checked, humans can't fly." Sokka said as Umeko's eyes seem to light up as Aang smiled, ready to prove the boy wrong. "Check again!"

Aang had then launched himself into the air with his glider. He soared through the air, doing loops as the villagers on the ground point to him in wonder. "Whoa… it's flying… it's amazing!" One villager had said as Umeko jumped up and down, "He's doing it! He's flying!" Sokka rolled his eyes as the girl seemed so enthused. Katara had smiled at the airbender, who returned with one of his own. He was so distract that he ended up slamming right into a tall, snowy guard tower. "Oof!" The boy had let out while Sokka gasped, "My watchtower!" He said dejectedly. "That was amazing." Katara had walked over to Aang, helping him back on his feet. Umeko had looked at Sokka who was examing his damaged tower. Did nobody seem to care that Sokka worked hard on that and now it was broken. "Uhm." Umeko had spoke up, "Aang, you should fix Sokka's watchtower." She had said, "He worked hard on that and you pretty much destroyed it."

"Oh…" The boy had looked back at the watchtower that was now sinking to the ground. "Don't worry about it, Sokka can just make another one." Katara had said which seemed to irritate her sibling. "Right… Because I do all the guarding around here." He huffed, folding his arms. "You're an airbender, Katara's a waterbender, and together you can just waste time all day long." Aang had seemed quite excited to hear that Katara was a waterbender. "Well… sort of. Not yet." She replied somewhat in a dejected manner. "All right. No more playing. Come on, Katara, you have chores." Kanna had said as she led her granddaughter away.

Umeko had looked at Sokka, who had went his separate way and Aang who was entertaining the children with his staff. She had turned and went to the tent where here things were and went to her book bag, rummaging through it and turning on her phone. She still had three battery bars which surprised her. Then she noticed she had twelve messages and all of them were from Arata. "…Arata…" She whispered as her thumb hesitantly hovered over the screen, afraid to tap and read the messages. All he was going to do was give her pity. He didn't love her like she had loved him. She known it, and she could feel it. Besides, she had to forget him since she had no other choice but to because she was supposed to move.

"Alright, what's got you upset?" Umeko had turned to see Sokka entering the tent and then flopping down on his backside. "Why don't you go have fun with my sister and that Aang kid?" He asked as the girl had turned her phone off quietly and then placed it back in her school bag. "Well…" Should she tell him? It wasn't like she had anyone else to talk to. Katara was too busy spending her time with Aang and she didn't really know any of the other villagers.

"You see…" Umeko's eyes had stared at her legs since she was kneeling, her hands resting on her knees. Sokka had continued to stare at her, waiting for her to talk. "Go on," He said as she had let out an uneasy grunt. "Back in my world, I was going to move." She had said as he had a rather calm expression, his eyes focused on her. "And…" She found herself growing nervous. "If you don't want to talk about it then you don't have to." Sokka had said making a notion to stand but stopping as she spoke, "No… No, I want to its just… the wound is still kind of fresh."

"Wound?" He questioned as she nodded her head. "An emotional wound. It is really serious but…" She paused for a minute, her eyes lowering. "It hurts…" The boy had slowly frowned. "I want to talk about it but it hurts. Though I thank you for being concerned." She smiled brightly, her eyes lighting up. The boy blushed and looked away, rubbing the side of his head. "I didn't even do anything." He winded up saying as the girl giggled. "You didn't have to." She replied before standing and he did as well. "Where did Katara and Aang go by the way?" Umeko asked. "Probably somewhere to do this little magic stuff or penguin sledding. The guy is obsessed with doing it, sheesh." Sokka went on to say. "I thought it was waterbending and airbending, not magic." Umeko had said as the boy rolled his eyes. "Its all the same thing to me! You and I are nonbenders, right? So what's the big deal?"

Nonbender, huh? Umeko had raised her hands and looked at them. "Mm, I guess I don't have any bending abilities." She had said as Sokka folded his arms. "I hope not. I don't want to deal with another person do swirly, swilly magic around here and hurting me." He had said, his thumb to his chest. The girl had looked at him and then giggled. "What's so funny?" He asked while pouting slightly. "You're funny, Sokka. You always seem angry." She had explained as his expression hadn't changed. "I am not angry." He said while walking out of the tent and Umeko following behind him. Suddenly, something had went in the air, a flare. Umeko's azure eyes had looked up at it, "What the heck is that? T-That's a flare! Ugh, I bet Aang did it."

"Why would he set off a flare? And who is going to see it?" She had asked. "The Fire Nation could see it!" He had said in which made her look back at the flare that was now dissipating. "Why would the Fire Nation be here anyway? Isn't their nation really far from here?" She had asked him as he seemed slightly at a loss for words. "Well, yeah… But you never know! I told you they attacked here before." She nodded, now understanding. The tribe couldn't just take risks, they never knew when the firebenders were near and ready to hurt them. They seemed quite merciless and on a killing spree from the way Katara and Sokka had made it seem. Were all firebenders like that?

It was nearing sunset from what Umeko could tell and not too far, Aang and Katara were coming back to the village. First, the children had ran forward due to their excitement that the airbender was back. "Yay! Aang's back!" They all said in a unison as they gathered around the young boy. Sokka, however, was not enthused by the boy's return. In fact, he was quite frustrated and Umeko knew that it was mainly about the flare. Sokka had pointed at Aang while firing off, "I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare! You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?" He accused the boy but Katara had came to Aang's defense. "Aang didn't do anything. It was an accident." She informed her brother. Umeko had walked forward, standing next to Sokka. "Yeh, we were on the ship and there was this booby trap and well…" He dragged the last sentence, a hand on his head as he was trying to finish the sentence. "…we "boobied" right into it." He had said.

"Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship. Now we call could be in danger!" Kanna had said, shaking her head in disappointment. "Don't blame Katara! I brought her there." Aang had explained, his head lowered. "It's my fault." Umeko frowned as Sokka wasn't letting this go. "Aha! The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy!" The children, who were once excited to see Aang, had recoiled back and went towards Sokka and Kanna. "The foreigner is banned from our village." Umeko gasped as the boy's sister grew angry at her brother's words. "Sokka, you're making a mistake." His sister had said as Umeko looked at the siblings who were in a heated battle with their eyes. "No! I'm keeping my promise to Dad. I'm protect you from threats like him!" His sister had then replied as she motioned to the airbender, "Aang is not our enemy! Don't you see? Aang's brought us something we haven't had in a long time. Fun."

"You can't fight the Fire Nation with fun!" Her brother argued back with a very good valid point. "You should try it sometimes." said the lighthearted young boy, which did not help in his defense. "Get out of our village. Now!" Sokka yelled. "Grandmother, please, don't let Sokka do this." Katara pleaded to Kanna. "Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think its best if the airbender leaves." She had said calmly. "Then I'm banished too!" Umeko had watched as the waterbender turned, taking Aang by the shoulder, and beginning to walk off. "C'mon, Aang, let's go!" Katara had said as they began to walk towards Appa. "Where do you think you're going?!" Sokka said, pointing at his sister. "To find a waterbender! Aang is taking me to the North Pole." His sister replied. Aang, for a minute, didn't know what was going on but then brightened when he understood. "I am? Great!"

That's when Umeko decided to step in, grabbing Sokka's arm and stopping him from speaking. He looked at her as she shook her head to tell him to not say anything. She then took a step forward, "Katara," The girl had stopped, looking over her shoulder at Umeko and the rest of the tribe, "are you really going to choose a stranger over your own family?" She had asked her. "This is your tribe, your family, and you are going to abandon them for a boy you just met yesterday?" The waterbender seemed confused, her eyes looking at Aang with doubt. He then walked until he was next to her, "Katara…" He had said, "I don't want to come between you and your family." Umeko had then shook her head, "Aang… You didn't mean to set off that flare, right?" Aang had shook his head. Umeko had then turned to look at Sokka, "I'm sure we can take his word for it, right? Why would he help the Fire Nation?"

"I don't know, why wouldn't he? We don't know him. He could have hidden motives, Umeko." Sokka tried to explain, glaring at the airbender who had a rather sad expression. "Aang, you can prove your innocence, right?" Umeko had asked the boy, who had sighed. "It'll be hard to. No matter what I say, I have no evidence to really show you that I have nothing to do with them." He had sighed, "I'll just go." If there was a way she could help, she would take it but there was no way to prove his innocence. "So, you're leaving the South Pole? This is goodbye?" Katara had asked him. "Thanks for penguin sledding with me." Aang had said to her, "And thanks for trying to help me, Umeko." Aang had said as the girl had looked down. "Where will you go?" Katara asked him as the boy place a hand on the bison, rubbing his fur. "Guess I'll go back home and look for the airbenders." He then got lost in his own thoughts, "Wow, I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years. Not looking forward to that."

The boy had then used his airbending to take him from the ground and onto the bison's head to take the reins. He looked at the village, still making light of the situation. "It was nice meeting everyone." He had said kindly, making Umeko feel sad about the boy leaving. "Let's see your bison fly now, air boy." The girl beside him had cut him a look, "He's leaving, Sokka. Don't be a jerk." Umeko had said. "Come on, Appa, you can do it! Yip yip!" A rumble came from Appa as he then got onto his feet. "Yeh, I thought so." Sokka muffled in which Umeko had his side with her elbow, causing him to yelp in pain and glare at her. At that moment, a little girl with her hair styled in pigtails came running forward with tears in her eyes. "Aang!" She called out to the boy, "Don't go! We'll miss you." She said standing next to Katara. "I'll miss you too." Aang had said in a rather sad tone.

Umeko had watched as the boy turned away, shaking the reigns once more. "Come on, boy." Appa had begun to walk off as Umeko had watched Katara continue to stand there. The little girl, however, had turned and ran back to the village. Umeko knew that Katara needed space, she had to be extremely upset that she had come to Sokka's defense. Kanna walked towards her granddaughter, Umeko looking to where Aang and Appa had gone. She had then turned around and made her way towards the tents.

**/**

Umeko been fiddling with her phone, wondering if she should read Arata's messages. Maybe she could find closure, knowing that he was happy with someone else. She didn't want him blaming himself that she had gotten missing and strangely going into a different world. He wouldn't know the second part, but he would blame himself for her going missing. It wasn't his fault that she had fell in love with him. He didn't ask for her love, it was never his intention for him to steal her heart. Umeko's eyes lowered towards the phone and then she had had placed it back in her bag. She wasn't strong enough yet. When would she ever be? Who's strong enough to watch their heart fall to pieces? She had felt a strange shift, her body slightly jolting. She had placed her hand on her chest, wondering if she had just imagined it. She had gotten out of the tent, seeing others coming from out of them. She had rant towards where she had seen a large ship as steam wafted up from where the bow of it had split the ice floor.

Umeko had ran over, her hands grabbing Katara's arms. The girl had looked at her, Umeko wondering if she was alright. Katara's oceanic eyes had looked away from her and then back at the ship in which Umeko had did the same. Didn't this ship belong to the Fire Nation? What could they possibly want here? She had winced as the bowsprit of the ship opened and folded out and down onto the icy floor. It was a gangplank used for the troops to go down, disembarking from the ship. Steam had filled the air, covering them for the most part but it disappeared, there was a boy standing there with Fire Nation soldiers behind. There were guards behind the teenage boy as he made his way down. Silence had filled the air as everyone drew breath out of fear.

The silence was broken, however, by Sokka who yelled out a "war cry". He was running towards the teenage, Fire Nation boy. Umeko looked away as Sokka's weapon was kicked out of his hand and then a foot had gone straight to his face, sending him sprawled out on the ice to the side. The villagers had drew back, now realizing that Fire Nation soldiers were here. Sokka's head was stuck in the snow and he was still trying to get himself out as the Fire Nation boy had approached them, walking towards Katara, Umeko, and Kanna. "Where are you hiding him?" He asked as his eyes looked around the crowd. Umeko had stepped forward, Katara trying to pull her back. "Who are you looking for?" Umeko had asked as the boy had looked at her. "Don't play dumb with me." He had said in which left the girl even more confused. "Play dumb with you? Why would I do that? You asked a question and I asked one back to help you find your answer." She replied, her brows knitted together and a frown on her face. "He's about as old as that woman behind you." He pointed to Kanna, "Master of all elements?"

"You mean the Avatar?" She asked as his brows furrowed in frustration. "Who else can master all elements?" He had asked in a rather sarcastic manner, "A penguin?" Umeko had narrowed her eyes, not taking quite lightly to his sarcasm. "The Avatar isn't here." She had said, "He was never here." Umeko had replied as the boy stepped forward, his helmet covered head pressing against her forehead. "I know you're hiding him!" She shook her head, "Why would we hide him when we know you'd kill us in order to have him. He's not here!" Umeko's voice held her frustration, hoping that they would just go back in the ship and move along. "I know he's here. I saw the light and I saw someone use airbending." Umeko had then quickly looked away to think of something and then looked back at him with her fierce expression. "Are you sure you aren't seeing things? I told you, he's not here. He was never here. We wouldn't risk our lives for an Avatar."

Suddenly, she heard a clunk and felt herself falling down on her back. She had then noticed the Fire Nation boy's face nearly inches away from her own. She could now adjust that he had fell on top of her. Umeko had glared at him and crawled back, standing up. Katara had went over to her as the boy stood back up and made a notion to firebend streams over fire over to Sokka. "Sokka!" Umeko cried out but she had seen the Fire Nation boy fall again, whatever caused it had flew by in a blur. When it stopped, they had realized it was Aang on a penguin. The children cheered as he and the penguin stopped, dumping some snow on the kids. They had paused for a moment, but then cheered again for the Aang. The penguin had then pushed Aang off, stood, and looked at the boy before turning to waddle away. "Hey Katara. Hey Sokka, Umeko." Sokka voice was rather dry as he replied, "Hi… Aang. Thanks for comin'."

The young monk then looked over at the firebenders. Zuko had stood and assumed stance while Aang readied his staff. They had tried to close in, but Umeko blocked their way. "Get out of my way!" The Fire Nation boy growled at her, but she had stood firm and outstretched her arms. "No." She said defiantly, "What are you gonna do? Knock me over?" She asked as he raised his arm, but Aang had blew the men on either side of the boy, who had stood his ground, shielding his face from the wind. "Looking for me?" Aang inquired. "You're the Airbender? You're the Avatar?" Zuko said incredulously. Everyone, even Umeko, had turned to look at Aang surprised by the fact. "Aang?" Katara called his name in surprise. "No way." Sokka said in disbelief. Aang had walked over to Umeko, taking her arm. "I can handle this." He had said. "Aang, I'm not going to let them take you, okay? I wasn't there for you before and so I'm here for you now." She had stood firmly as he shook his head. "I know you meant well, but this a battle I have to fight." She had looked at him and then back at the Fire Nation boy. She walked over to him, pointing at him. "If you hurt him I'll hurt you!" She threatened, "And you can bet on that!" She quickly turned and went towards Katara and Sokka.

"Umeko that was brave of you." Katara said in admiration as Umeko had rubbed the back of her head, "There's nothing brave about almost getting yourself killed…" She said as they had turned to look at the boy and Aang squaring off. "I've spent years preparing for this encounter. Training. Meditating. You're just a child!" The Fire Nation boy had voiced his frustrations. "Well, you're just a teenager." Without any more words, the teenager firebender had fired black after black of balls of Fire. Aang appeared rather afraid, but he had quickly twirled his staff in front of him to dissipate east blast of fire that was sent his way. The fire, however, nearly riche the villagers which caused them to cry out in fear. Aang had looked over to them, worried. "If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?" He asked as the firebender teenager was still in stance, but he paused rather briefly and then straightened up and nods.

A soldier had took Aang's staff and started to lead him to the ship. Katara, with Umeko alongside her, had rushed forwards towards them. "No, Aang! Don't do this!" Katara cried. "Don't worry, Katara, it'll be okay." A few soldiers had pushed the boy forward in a rough manner, "Take care of Appa for me until I get back." Aang had said as Umeko had bawled her hands into fists and growled. She ran and tackled the boy that Aang fought earlier, punching the boy repeatedly in the face. "You're not taking him anywhere, you stupid punk!" Umeko cried out as Katara gasped, "Umeko stop! Get back here!" Umeko let Katara's words go in one ear and out the other as the Fire Nation guards had picked up Umeko, "You have burned all your chances of me letting you go!" The boy yelled at her, pointing his finger at her as she glared at him. "I'm taking you as prisoner. Head a course to the Fire Nation. I'm going home!" Zuko ordered as the prisoners had taken her inside the ship. "Umeko!" The girl could hear Katara and Sokka calling out her name. "Umeko!"

The bowsprit had already rose and shut, Aang and Umeko had stared at Katara and Sokka. Katara had cried as Sokka went over to comfort her, a frown adorning his face. _'I'm sorry guys but don't worry. I'm going to bust Aang out of here.' _Umeko thought. This was all going according to plan as she was roughly being taken in the ship. They had taken her down a flight of stairs in the corridor, and she knew the first place they were going to take her were the cells. She wasn't too far behind Aang as she had watched the boy stop to speak to an older man who had a bunch of guards with him. "This staff will make an excellent gift for my father. I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks. Take the Avatar to the prison hold. And, "He shoving the staff in the older man's direction, "take this to my quarters."`

The man took the staff, but before Zuko could walk away he had spoke upon making eye contact with Umeko. "Zuko, what is a watertribe girl doing here? She's not the Avatar." He had said as Umeko now registered that the boy she was punching not too long ago was named Zuko. "Uncle, she punched me in my face and tried to stop me from taking the Avatar. She's a prisoner!" He had said as he pointed to the bruises on his face as his Uncle seemed bewildered that this short girl had actually punched his nephew. Without further words being said, Umeko and Aang had gone down two separate halls.

One of the three guards that were restraining her had took keys out of his pocket and opened the cell door with one, while the other two pushed her in and locked the door. She had ran up to the cell's bars and glared at him. "Just you wait until I get out of here, I'm gonna punch you in the face like I did to your friend Zuko!" She yelled at them as they paused to stare at her. "Silence you insolent brat!" One of them had shouted as she had stuck her tongue out at them as they had left the cell rooms. Umeko had sighed and then began pacing in her small confine, "What am I going to do? How am I going to get out of here? There has to be something." She thought as she had continued to go in circles. "I wonder if Aang was able to bust out or maybe he's thinking of a plan. I should've put more thought into this." She had said and then sighing.

The door had flew open, hitting the other side of the wall. "Umeko, you in here?!" Her eyes lit up as she had slipped her arms through the cells, "Aang, I'm over here!" She had waved as the boy had ran over to her. "I'm going to break you out of here." He said as he looked around, "I think I'm gonna need the key. Sit here." He then turn around and ran and went down the hall. He quickly came back jingling the keys in the air. He had then inserted one key, which didn't work, and then the next and the next until he got the right one. When he inserted the key, he had turned it and the cell doors had opened. "Thanks Aang!" She thanked him as they both ran towards the deck. Prince Zuko was already there with his soldiers, but fortunately enough Appa was flying in the air. "It's Appa!" Umeko pointed. Zuko had fired blast after blast, Aang used his glider to block the blasts as he and Umeko had went towards the edge of the deck to escape.

Another blast came forward and as Aang blocked it, he had fell overboard but Umeko had caught his wrist. "Aang, hold on." She said to him as she tried to pull him up but he began slipping out of her hands and he had fell into the icy waters below. "Aang!" Umeko cried as he had sunk into the waters below. She could hear Katara's voice above her calling the boy over and over. "Aang! Aang! AANG!" Nothing happened and Umeko was sure that Aang had drowned. She lowered her head and closed her eyes, but then a whirlpool began to happen. Umeko had took a step back, her eyes looking at the now large, inverted tornado of water that had went up towards the surface at quick speed. Umeko ran back as the surface front of the ship had broken. Aang had then landed on the deck, his eyes still glowing, and began to bend the water from the column of water he created to circle around him. He released it and expanded the water outward in a shockwave to black Zuko and his men overboard.

Umeko had ran over to him as he fell on his knees that had wobbled. He began to fall forward but Umeko had caught him in her arms as the white energy from his eyes and tattoos began to fade. Appa had soon landed and Katara and Sokka had jumped off, running towards them. "Is he okay?" asked Katara, worried as can be. She knelt down as Sokka was beside them. "Hey Katara. Hey Sokka. Thanks for coming." Aang said weakly, completely drained. "Well, I couldn't let you have all the glory." Sokka teased, "And you took Umeko, we knew her first." The girl chuckled, Aang doing the same. "I dropped my staff." Aang had pointed out as Sokka nodded, "Got it!" He stood and ran over to pick it up.

Umeko and Katara's attention had went back to Aang, "Do you think you can stand?" Umeko asked him as he groaned a little. "I think I can try." He said as he sat up and stood up, Umeko and Katara then stood as well. "Ha! That's from the watertribe!" They heard Sokka say which caused them to look up at him. Katara had instantly picked up a stream of water from the deck and the guards had pulled back fear, scared that she was going to do another attack like Aang. However, she froze the water instead which seemed to be accidental than on purpose. She even frozen the water around Sokka's feet which caused him to be stuck. "Katara!" Her brother yelled, trying to chip away the ice with his boomerang as the soldiers moved forward. Umeko meanwhile was supporting Aang and getting him towards the bison.

"Hurry up, Sokka!" Katara said after picking up another stream of water and throwing it at the soldiers, freezing them with a thin sheet of ice before turning and climbing on Appa. After her brother mumbled something to himself, he had finally got free and then ran up the bison's tale. "Yip yip! Yip yip!" He cried as he was helped on board and Appa had took off. They were now soaring in the air, Umeko not looking down below out of fear. Umeko let out a sigh, almost hoping that everything was over now. She even noticed that her bag was in the saddle. Suddenly, she felt a wave of heat and noticed a massive bolt of fire. Everyone looked in horror until Aang jumped to the back of the saddle and used his staff like a baseball bat, a gale of wind sent the ball of fire at an angle away from Appa and into an ice cluff nearby.

The fireball had exploded upon impact with the ice cliff, releasing a huge amount out ice from it which fell towards Zuko's ship. The bow of it and the entire channel was now blocked up under an avalanche of ice. The group laughed at the now heavily damaged ship full of airbenders. "Wow!" Umeko said as they had gained more distance away from the ship. "That was the most craziest thing I have ever seen in my life!" Umeko commented. "Same here!" Katara said happily. "Bending is amazing." Umeko said as they had flew through the clouds. "What was amazing was what Aang did." Katara said, "How did you do that? With the water? It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen." She questioned as they all kept their eyes on him. Aang said on the bridge of the saddle, her expression somewhat sad. "I don't know. I just sort of… did it."

"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" Katara then asked. "Because I never wanted to be." The young monk had put it bluntly in which made the girls frown. "But Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war." Umeko had looked at Katara then back at Aang who had then spoken. "And how am I going to do that?" He asked. "According to legend, you need to first master water, then earth, then fire, right?" She asked. "That's what the monks told me." He nodded. "Well, if we go to the North Pole you can master waterbending." Katara said enthusiastically. "We can learn it together!" Aang said with a smile. "And Sokka, I'm sure you'll get to knock some firebender heads on the way." Sokka eyes then went to a dreamy gaze, "I'd like that. I'd really like that." He said as Umeko chuckled. "And we can find a way for Umeko to go home or maybe find out how or why she's here." Umeko nodded, "Then we're in this together!" Katara had then said.


End file.
